Locking means for electric-switch boxes



G. H. SAUTON" LOCKINQMEA NS FOR ELECTRIC SWITCH BOXES' Sept. 8, 1925.

Filgd July 31. 1924 Patented Sept. 8, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT ounce.

GEORGE HAMILTON SA'UTON, =01 NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA; ASSIGNOR OF ONE TWENTY-FOURTH TO CHARLESF; A. HEITKAMIP', ONETWENTY-FOUR-TH TO SIMON A. G. HEITKAMP, AND ONE TWENTY-FOURTH TO- OSCAR B. L. HEITKAMP, ALL OF NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA.

LOCKING MEANS FOR ELECTRIC-SWITCH BOXES.

' Application filed July 31, 1924. Serial- No. 729,395.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, Gnoncn H. SAUTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Orleans, in the parish of Orleans and State of Louisiana, have invented new and useful Improvements in Locking Means for Electric-Switch Boxes, o-twhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates'to locking means particularly intended for use with the switch boxes of electric meters but is adapted for use in connection with any enclosure requiring a like fastenin or securement.

The primary object or the invention is to provide a double locking device comprising a shackle or analogous structure for engagement-with a staple or other similar device and operable in connection with a body which receives-the extremities of the shackle to secure a door. slide or other movable closure in such manner as to resist nefarious tampering and release of the locking means by unauthorized persons for the purpose of gaining access to the interior of the enclosure without detection.

A further-object of the invention is to provide a comparatively inexpensive and simple form of locking means especially ap- 'plicable to'the switchbox- 01" anelectric meter, to prevent openingof the box and irregular operation and manipulation of the switch by unauthorizedpersons for the purpose of defrauding electric companies and corporations.

Vith these and other objects and advantages in view, the invention consists in the construction and arrangement of the several parts which will be more fully hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a switch )0): showing the improved locking means applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view through the improved locking means.

Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section on the line 33, Fig. 2.

Figs. 4- and 5 are detail views. respectively, in elevation and top plan of a part of the locking means.

For the purpose of illustrating one practical application of the improved locking means, it-is shown in Fig. 1 in connection projection- 8 secured to the box and movable through an opening 9 in the .door or closure 6.

The improved locking means comprises a body 10, preferably of porcelain but capable of being formed from any other plastic material and suitably hardened as by baking or other treatment. The body 10 as shown is of rectangular form-but its shape may be varied asdesired. The improved locking means is of double form and the body 10is constructed with two sockets 11 extending partially therethrough in a transverse direction and opening through one side edge as at 12. Secured within the body 10 at the time of formation of the same are two spring metal caps 13, there being one of thesecaps located in each socket 11. Each cap has a base flange l4 and a central bore 15 opening through the center of the flange and also through a tapered andreduced end 16,-which is diametrically slotted, as at 17, to form two spring jaws 18 havingblunt free ends 19. The base flangeslt of each cap is partially imbedded in them'aterialof the body 10-at a'distance inwardly, from the inletopenings 1210f. the sockets llyboth caps beingat' equal distances inwardly in the sockets from the openings. 12. The locking means also includes a shackle 20, which may be ofany formin cross section, this shackle being of 'U-shape-and having reduced extremities in the form of tapered shanksor stems 21 terminating in convex heads 22, one on each shank or stem, with inner straight circumferentialshoulders 23. The maximum diameter of each capismaterially less than the diameter of the. socket 11 in which itiis, fitted and1 the iaws;18 are. therefore free to expand when the shanks or stems 21 of the shackle 20 are associated with or forced through the caps.

In the operation of. the improved-locking means,;the shackle 20 is inserted through the staple or projection 8 after the door 6 has been closed, asshown by. 1, and the body 10 is pushed upwardlyagainst thede- Pending s anks 9.1 stems 15: Wi h suf icient force to cause the heads 22 to pass through the caps 13 by expanding the jaws 18 and until the heads 22 pass through or beyond the tapered ends of the caps, when the jaws 18 will spring inwardly and engage the circumferential shoulders 23, to thereby pre vent disengagement of the shackle 20 from the body 10. After the shackle 20 has been associated with the body as shown by Figs. 1, 2 and 3, it will be impossible to disengage the shackle from the said body without breaking the latter, and even though the body 10 may be broken by unauthorized persons, the caps 13 will still be in engagement with the shanks or stems 21 and will have to be pried off or broken to disengage the same from the said shanks or stems before the shackle can be released from the staple or projection 8. This operation of release of the locking means, which can be accomplished only by breaking the body 10 and disengaging the caps 13 from the shanks or stems 21 of the shackle 20, renders it practically impossible for anyone other than authorized persons to gain access to the interior of the switch box after the improved locking means has been appliedas hereinbefore described, and, moreover, if unauthorized persons should break the body 10 and disengage the shackle 20, there will be no means for supplying a similar locking means by those persons endeavoring to defraud electric companies and corporations by manipulation of the switch within the body 5, as it is obvious that persons having such intent will not be equipped with similar replacement devices, or devices corresponding to the body 10 having the caps 13 therein and the shackle 20. Hence tampering with a switch box for the purpose of changing the switch or otherwise modifying the same with fraudulent intent cannot be accomplished without detection, and, furthermore, the expense of replacing the broken parts of the locking means in the event that it would be possible for unauthorized persons to provide the same would be far greater than the advantage that might accrue from irregular manipulation of the switch. As a further precautionary means each body 10 will be provided with a number or other identifying character 24 for registration and identification as to the application of a particularly numbered lock or locking means in connection with a switch box at certain locations, or in houses, factories or other places.

As hereinbefore indicated, the improved locking means may also be efficiently used in connection with any other enclosing means requiring a positive securement of the type provided by the present improved locking means, or to prevent access to such enclosing means without detection. It is also proposed to modify the dimensions, proper tions and details of construction of the sev eral parts of the improvel device without departing from the spirit of the invention.

lVhat is claimed as new is:

1. A locking means of the class specified, comprising a body composed of hard molded material formed with two sockets extending partially therethrough and opening outwardly through one edge thereof, tubular metal locking devices having flanged portions located inwardly a distance from the outlets of the sockets and imbedded in the body, the said tubular metal locking devices havin reduced portions centrally disposed in and standing clear of the walls of the sockets and terminating a distance from the inner ends of the said sockets, the free terminals of the tubular portions of the locking devi es being provided with yielding jaws, the material of the body around the sockets being relatively thick, and a relatively thick U-shaped metal shackle having reduced extremities terminating in shouldered heads insertable in the sockets and through the tubular portions of the locking devices to permit the jaws of said tubular portions to engage the shoulders of the said heads and hold the shackle in connection with the body, the shackle being separable from the body only by fracture and destruction of the said body.

2. A locking means of the class specified, comprising a molded porcelain body having spaced parallel sockets extending partially therethrough in a transverse direction and fully opening through one edge of the body, a locking device mounted in each socket and having a flange at one end imbeddcd in the body at a distance inwardly from the edge through which the sockets open, each locle ing device being tubular and the free 631- tremity thereof provided with yielding jaws extending longitudinally with relation to its socket, the free end of each locking device terminating a distance from the inner ter- 'nal of its socket, and a shackle having reduced extremities with shouldered teri'ninal heads and insertable in the said sockets and through the locking devices, the heads of the reduced extremities of the shackle being held between the free ends of the locking device and the inner terminals of the sockets and the shouldered portions of the shackle produced by the formation of the reduced extremities thereof being located close to the inlets of the locking devices to obstruct insertion of implements into the locking devices for springing the yielding jaws apart and releasing the shack e, the shackle being separable from the porcelain body only by fracturing and destroying the said body.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

GEORGE HAMILTON SAUTON. 

